Third Brown Bag: Half the Equation w/ Lana Wells

“Half the Equation: Why and How to Engage Men and Boys to Advance Gender Equality”

A precondition for achieving gender equality requires us to create new ideas about gender, masculinity and healthy relationships.

Not only do individuals need to shift their perceptions and actions, but communities, the private sector and governments need to move to change laws, policies and norms to better include men and boys as a key strategy in this social change.

How are we currently engaging men and boys and what can we do to bring them into the movement?

With Special Guest & Violence Prevention Expert Ms Lana Wells

Lana is Associate Professor and the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary where she is leading Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence.

In 2013, Lana partnered with the Government of Alberta to develop the prevention of family violence provincial policy framework and in 2014, partnered again to develop a provincial strategy to engage men and boys in violence prevention.

In 2015, Lana submitted a fatherhood action plan to the province and is in the process of working with community leaders on implementation.

Lana is currently a board member of PREVNet – a national network of lead researchers that aim to stop violence caused by bullying and she is currently running the MSW Leadership Program in the Faculty of Social Work where she also teaches on leadership and influencing policy.